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Brewer Vetos Paid State Centennial Holiday

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-966025.mp3

Phoenix, AZ – One of the bills approved by lawmakers in the just-completed session sought to create a new paid state holiday on February 14th, 2012. That would bring the total to 11. Gubernatorial press aide Matthew Benson said the governor appreciates all the efforts that state employees make, especially now with budget cuts and salary reductions. But he said that Brewer thinks this is inappropriate.

(For the vast majority of Arizonans, February 14, 2012 is going to be a regular day of work or school. In the governor's opinion, how better to celebrate Arizona's centennial than by state employees joining everyone else in getting up and going to work and keeping state services functioning that day.)

The legislation made provisions for those who had to work that day to get another paid day off. While that eliminated the financial implications of overtime pay, the governor still was not convinced. Oh, and it might be noted that lawmakers were thinking about more than current state workers when they approved the bill. The same change in law would have created a paid state holiday on February 14th, 2112, February 14th 2212, and on and on into the future. For Arizona Public Radio this is Howard Fischer.